Brazilian Navy authorised to begin talks to purchase UK’s HMS Ocean

Brazil’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed it has authorised the Navy to initiate understandings to purchase the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Ocean landing platform helicopter (LPH)

The Brazilian Navy requested this authorisation earlier this year, after it had taken the decision to retire its old Sao Paulo aircraft carrier, and after the Royal Navy informed that the HMS could be available for sale once decommissioned in March 2018.

HMS Ocean is an amphibious assault ship, the UK’s helicopter carrier and the fleet flagship of the Royal Navy. She is designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force. She was constructed in the mid-1990s by Kvaerner Govan on the River Clyde and fitted out by VSEL at Barrow-in-Furnessprior to trials and subsequent acceptance in service. She was commissioned in September 1998 at her home port HMNB Devonport, Plymouth, and is due to be decommissioned in March 2018, according to Wikipedia.